Conventional refrigerators do not include a fermentation compartment, but rather include only a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment. There exist, however, fermentation refrigerators which include only a fermentation compartment.
A fermentation refrigerator performs a normal storage function by lowering the temperature in the same manner as a conventional refrigerator. However, in performing the fermentation function, because the fermentation refrigerator raises the temperature to the fermentation temperature, it has a disadvantage in that foods stored within it must be taken out and moved into a conventional refrigerator, which provides a low temperature so that the foods do not deteriorate or spoil.
When the fermentation function is desired, a conventional refrigerator cannot raise the temperature therein to the fermentation temperature, so it has the disadvantage of requiring one in need of such function to purchase a conventional refrigerator and a fermentation refrigerator, and to provide the space to house both units.
A typical example of the prior art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Sho 56-168069. This patent relates to a refrigerator comprising a freezing compartment including a first freezer, a refrigerating compartment including a second freezer and a sub-compartment including a third freezer convertible to a freezing compartment or to a refrigerating compartment. A first path switchover device controls a portion of the refrigerant to the second freezer and a second path switchover device controls a portion of the refrigerant to the third freezer. The refrigerant path switchover is controlled by the first and the second refrigerant path switchover devices whereby one of the states supplies refrigerant to the first and the second freezer, another state supplies refrigerant to the first and the third freezer, and another state supplies refrigerant to only the first freezer, a decision is formed based on detection of the inner temperature of refrigerator.
The embodiment disclosed in the Sho 56-168069 patent includes a freezing compartment, a refrigerating compartment and a sub-compartment and controls the temperature of each compartment. However, the sub-compartment is convertible to a freezing compartment or to a refrigerating compartment and thus it does not have a fermentation function. Accordingly, it does not solve the above mentioned problems.